Floor cleaner is a counter word covering four different machines: a rotary buffer, a walk behind scrubber dryer, a carpet extractor and a pressure washer. They hire from roughly $40 a day for a buffer up to $90 to $160 for a scrubber, and choosing wrongly wastes the day rather than the money. The surface, not the size of the room, picks the machine.
Four machines, four surfaces
A rotary buffer strips, scrubs and polishes hard floors with a pad. A scrubber dryer lays solution down, scrubs and lifts it back in one pass. An extractor sprays and vacuums carpet. A pressure washer belongs outside on concrete. Naming the surface at the counter gets you the right one; naming the room size does not.
Pads and chemicals are not in the rate
Pads, brushes, bonnets, stripper and neutraliser are billed separately and are what actually does the cleaning. A black pad strips finish, a red pad scrubs and a white one polishes, so the aggressive choice on the wrong floor takes the finish off with the dirt. Ask what arrives on the machine and what is added at return.
Water in, water out, and a cord in between
Each of these machines needs a filling point, a legal place to empty dirty solution, and on mains powered units a socket that will carry the load. A lead trailing across a wet floor is the usual hazard, so plan the run, work from a ground fault circuit interrupter, and keep the cable behind the machine rather than under it.
How long the area really takes
A 17 inch buffer covers a modest office in an evening. A 20 inch scrubber dryer clears several thousand square feet an hour once turns and edges are counted. Edges and corners stay manual whatever you hire. Work out the area, halve your optimism about pace, and book the machine for a day longer than the arithmetic suggests.
Questions people ask about floor cleaner rental
What is the difference between a buffer and a scrubber?
A buffer spins a pad on a dry or damp floor and somebody mops up afterwards. A scrubber dryer carries solution and a vacuum, so it washes and leaves the floor walkable in a single pass. For a large area that has to reopen quickly, the scrubber earns its higher rate.
Can I hire something for cleaning carpet?
Yes. A carpet extractor is a standard counter item at roughly $40 to $80 a day with the solution sold separately. Check whether you are getting an upright for open floor or a spotter with a hand tool, which is what stairs, edges and upholstery actually need.
Should I bring my own extension lead?
Bring one, and bring a heavy gauge one. Rental machines ship with a short lead, and thin household cords overheat and trip breakers on a motor this size. Confirm the voltage and current draw when you book so what you bring is rated for the run you need.